Letter to the Editor: Cobble Hill Plaza

This past Sunday, the Tedeschi Food Shop at the Cobble Hill Shopping Plaza closed its doors for the last time, to make room for a new 159 unit apartment building with 5 ground floor retail units.

The project was approved by the planning board last fall and will be developed and later managed by the Corcoran Jenison Company, who owns the site as well as owns and operates the adjacent Coble Hill Apartments which are mainly occupied by elderly and disabled persons. Many of these residents use walkers or scooter wheelchairs and are a bit concerned of not being able to go next door for milk or bread and miscellaneous items without depending on others to help them do so.

The shopping center has also served as a place where members of this tight knit community would often meet or run into each other for coffee or a meal at Andrea’s Pizza a favorite of many here. Long time Cobble Hill resident Louise Sabella said she will miss having her favorite takeout food when her friends and family come over on the weekend for a visit. Benvia Correra who is 92 years young, said she will miss the ATM that she depends on. She went on to say in her usual humor that in the two years that it might take to open the new stores, she might be with “Saint Peter” and not need it.

Another long time resident Maryanne Smith said that she is going to miss venturing out to get her occasional scratch ticket. Because this is a community of people that look out for each other, resident Ivan Curty has offered to use his car to help neighbors by driving them or picking up some items for them.

Aside from expressing some anxiety over the disruption the construction will bring to the people of Cobble Hill, everyone seems to agree that the management and property owners have been good to them over the years.

Along the many activities and events management puts on, there is a regular company owned bus that takes the residents grocery shopping as well as a 3rd party bus for weekly shopping as well. On a positive note, there is an element of excitement of what has been presented to be a well-designed residential and retail property will add to the neighborhood along with similar future growth including the new Green Line stop that is coming.